the demons of fleet street
by Fae Dishon
Summary: If Elinor stood up to Turpin and Kept Johanna, this includes a bit of jack the ripper-ish-ness warning; much violence and death :)
1. Chapter 1

The men trampled about the shop, it was a miracle they didn't wake up poor little Johanna or my lilly. I clutched my shawl close to me feeling the chill in the air of something not right in the world.

"Where Is that child Mrs. Lovett? She belongs to me now that I have her mother."

I shook my head adamantly, "I'm sure I don' know wot you're talkin about love. The babes not 'ere. 'er mum sen' 'er to some sister's 'ouse before she go' off she did. I 'avn't seen li'l johanna Barker since"

The Judge grabbed my shoulders and gave me a slight shake. "Turpin, she is now Johanna Turpin and you will address her as such." He paused for a moment and fiddled with a lock of my unruly hair.

"Should I bore of Lucy and her little daughter though. You'd make a fine prize Eleanor Lovett. Wouldn't you."

He let me go and I shivered involuntarily.

I Grabbed at my shawl.

"Congratulations by the way, I heard about your new child. I hope She will grow to be as lovely as you my dear."

" You leave Lilyanna alone, and Hanna."

"Hanna? twins well, well my dear keep them close. I fear I might tire of Lucy and Johanna sooner than you would think."

He placed a light kiss on my temple that felt the fires of hell on my skin even after he left.

The girls began to cry,"Shush, hush darlin."

I picked the girls up Johanna in one arm and lilly on the other, I looked at them they looked eerily similar for unrelated girls. Both were pale with blue eyes. In fact the only difference in their appearances was their hair color. Johanna had honey blonde locks and lily's hair was russet red like mine.

"Hush, Nothin's gonna harm you, not while I'm around. No Nothin's gonna harm you darlin's not while I'm around." I rocked the girls on my hips until they both fell asleep. I put them in lilly's cradle together.

"Congratulations girls, meet your twin sister."

Fifteen years later a dark stranger with a pale visage and a white streak in this dark hair arrived in london. He meandered his way over to fleet street, there it was the cute little shop. And its scattered little owner. He watched the young woman from the doorway.

No, that couldn't be right, she looked so young, but it was her wasn't it?

The girl looked up and he knew it wasn't Eleanor Lovett. The girl's eyes were a bright electric blue, but she looked like Elinor so much.

"A customer?" She queried, "Wait what's your rush? What's your hurry?"

She stepped out from behind the counter, "You gave me such a fright I thought' you was a ghost 'alf a 't you sit, seat ya down. Sit!" She dusted her hands off, "All I meant is that it hasn't been this quiet here in weeks. Did you come here for a pie sir?"

She marched back behind the counter and didn't stop talking so fast that he couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Do forgive me if me 'eads a little vague." A loud thump came from over head, "Wot was that, Hey did you hear about the plague. An there's that bloke we're avoidin." She took the knife in her hand and threw it suddenly,"No you don't" a pitiful meow was heard. She shook her head, " heaven knows we try sir. But there's barely any time to inhale." She popped a meat pie on a plate. "Right you are sir, would you like a drop of ale? Mind you, I can hardly blame them." She put the plate a jug of ale in front of me. "These are probably the best pies in london."

She waved her hand at me in an impatient gesture, " Go on love give it a go, Mum's recipe. She should be back from the market anytime now."

He lifted up the pie to his mouth but stopped at the smell. He knew that smell, he'd hoped he'd forget and never smell it again. The smell of cooked man. But what did this girl have to do with it, she looked so innocent, her blue eyes brimming with life.

"What is your name my dear?" He asked her, she looked taken aback.

"Lilly Sir, short for Lilianna. My twin sisters called Hanna, Mum says it's short for Johanna but I ask you what kind of a name is Johanna?"

The pie fell to the table and broke open.

"Sir!" Lilly asked pushing quickly back from the table.

At almost the same time a slightly older version of the girl in front of him with deep brown eyes entered the shop. At the sight of the man she dropped her basket and held her hands to her mouth.

A blonde girl entered from the side entrance at the moment of the commotion, wiping a barbers razor clean on her apron, which was stained pink. The girl's eyes were the same bright blue as Lillys but her hair was golden like wheat.

The man stood from the table looking at her as though she was a ghost

"What's all this ruckus about mum? Lilly?"

Lilly shook her head hands on hips but Elinor Lovett marched over to the man and with no warning threw her arms around him crying, " Benjamin Barker!"

The corners of his mouth curved up in what passed for his smile, He breathed in the smell of his best friend.

"Nelly" he said.

"Mum," Johanna said, " Who is he."

Eleanor Lovett turned seven shades paler than her normal sallow complexion."Oh, 'Anna dear...Um... This is Benjamin barker. He's your father."

Johanna's eyes turned cold, the warmth sucked into an unforgiving ice blue. "You are no father of mine. You are scum, Barker, scum." her voice broke with tears as she spoke then she turned on her heel and dashed upstairs.

"Aye, me," Elinore lamented, " Wot was I expectin'. After fifteen years an' all. Poor 'Anna, My Poor 'Anna. Well she never forgave, you did she Nelly no no no." Eleanor muttered picking up the fresh produce from the market-no meat he noticed- And sauntered off into the back of the shop.

Lilly let out a long low whistle, " Well lookie there only been here about five minutes an you've already made a right mess o' things I'd say." She shook her beautiful auburn mop out of her face. "Well come on then Mr.B, I'll get you all set up in our spare room." And she walked ahead of him whistling and swaying her hips down the hall.


	2. Chapter 2

Lilly let out a long low whistle, " Well lookie there only been here about five minutes an you've already made a right mess o' things I'd say." She shook her beautiful auburn mop out of her face. "Well come on then Mr.B, I'll get you all set up in our spare room." And she walked ahead of him whistling and swaying her hips down the hall.

When night fell benjamin barker went to bed early. he lay in the dark worrying over a mystery that had presented itself to him. Jack the ripper was said to be near these parts nowadays round whitechapel, and he was worried for the girls.

His worry was misplaced.

Two figures crept out of the house once Mr. Barker ( called todd for his own protection) and their mother were asleep.

One in a midnight colored cloak and one in a light grey cloak. They walked in silence to the nearest pub.

Johanna stopped at the door and took in a breath. She was here to promote the shop and to calm her nerves after a day of work.

Lilly grinned madly, she was here for a far more sinister purpose. The girls nodded at each other and entered.

The noise and filth that once revolted the girls was now familiar. The extra money that the shop was pulling in allowed for the girls to get out and about some nights. Johanna looked around the pub. Lilly knew what she was looking for and the happiness that lit Johanna face told Lilly that she had found it. Johannas sailor friend was back.

"Anthony!" Johanna called and waved so that the sailor boy could see her. Lilly scoffed at her sister. Love made such fools of people she thought. It was love that made Lilly what she was. No one knew, no one but Johanna who had to help her clean up the messes Lilly made. Lilly walked herself to the bar and ordered some of the swill the had on tap not that she would drink more than a few sips. It never took long for the itch to get bad.

The bartend got Lilly her drink and she smiled at him, nothing more than a pretty redhead in a pub. She watched the people around her until she saw him, dark hair, with his arm around his sweetheart and his bright eyes following one of the tavern Whores. He didn't know it now but he would not see the morning. Lilly smiled into her tankard as he got up and kissed his thing she didn't know what kind of man he was. She would never know. Lillys eyes followed him to the skank where he whispered in her ear and they headed for the door. The redhead paid for her ale and left it on the counter as she slipped unnoticed through the crowd and followed her prey out of the pub.

Following the pair was hardly difficult the whore was a giggler. Every touch given her by the unscrupulous man made her burst out in giggles. Lilly figured she was new to the trade, pity, the girl wouldn't see the dawn either. She meandered about a good distance away letting them turn corners and walk side streets. They walked down Whitechapel street and Lilly caught up with them.

The man had the whore up against the wall pressing himself into the girl who looked like she wanted to throw him off. Lilly was obliged to lend the girl a helping hand she ripped the man off the girl and for show gave him her mist terrified look before hitting on the back of the head with the hilt of the dagger she was carrying on her belt. With a mix of the alcohol and th blow he passed out immediately.

"Thanks" The tavern whore said,

"Oh don't thank me yet." Lilly replied and she slashed at the girl.

The gash in the girls abdomen was deep enough to kill her on its own but Lilly didn't like to leave it that simple she wanted to make the girl pay. Not this girl but a different whore, the whore she had seen Gilbert with on this very street about a year ago.

She whistled as she slowly pulled apart this girl's body with her bare hands separating each peace and examining it, The girl wasn't going to live long even if Lilly hadn't killed her she was very sick on the inside. Lilly looked around when she was done and made the trek of a few feet to clean her hands in a nearby trough. She removed the coin pouches from both the girl and the boy and weighed them in her hand. Then she saw the woman, the crazy one who escaped from Bedlam. She Marched over to the woman and emptied the coins into her hands.  
"A gift from the fallen angel." The woman whispered. Lilly laughed at the title, crazys could always tell the true minds of people. The Woman shuffled away leaving Lilly smileing.

The man began to stir, she rushed to him and put on her most terrified face.

"We have to go, the ripper got your girl, and he'll be back.. Come on." She pulled at his clothing acting as flighty and scared as she could.

"Wha... what happened?" He asked rubbing his head. He saw the body, "What the bloody hell!" He snapped to reality with a jolt.

"We have to go!" He scrambled to his feet and followed her as she hurried toward fleet street. Johanna was waiting outside the pub for Lilly. Her face lit up when she saw her sister.

"Got one?" She called,

"We have to go Hanna the rippers right behind us." She winked at her sister who pretended rather convincing ly to be scared.

"We have to go then. I know somewhere safe," Johanna siad leading the way. The three figures rushed down the street and up the stares into Johannas barber shop. They all stopped to catch their collective breath. Johanna looked at the man.

"What's your name love?" She asked him.

"Julian." he answered.

"Right Julian have a seat your height is making me nervous." Johanna said, the girls stripped their cloaks and Hanna slipped on her apron.

"After all this mess," SHe said to Julian, "Hows about a free shave, to calm both of our nerves."

Julian sat and pulled his collar down, "I won't say no." He muttered.

Hanna honed her blade for a second then placed it on his neck ever so gently.

"You should have," Lilly said watching julians eyes as Johanna slit his throat in one pass of the razor. Johanna hit the foot peddle the Lilly had installed in the back of her barbers chair that dropped the body straight into the automatic meat grinder which was another of lillys brilliant Ideas.

The girls gave each other their identical evil smiles and laughed as they traipsed downstairs. Each girl washes herself clean of her ruby coat and fell fast asleep in her own bed. When Mister Todd looked in on them he found nothing but sleeping angels each dreaming of her own perfect crime.


End file.
